What Testing CAN’T Tell You
Psychological testing is a great tool but it isn’t without flaws. Yes, just about anything can be addressed using psychological testing, but it doesn’t mean everything SHOULD be. Psychological testing isn’t a tarot card reading or a medical lab test. It doesn’t always provide the clear-cut answers people expect.
To test, or not to test.
At times, people use testing to make decisions. If the reason for doing testing in the first place is to stigmatize or scapegoat, then more harm than good will come from the process. That’s not rocket science, of course, but sometimes the REAL intent is hidden under the guise of “just wanting to know.” The purpose of testing is to benefit the examinee by providing information that would help create a plan for moving forward. Ideally, the process would help to instill hope and a sense of empowerment. If the real reason is to find someone to blame, it’s best to skip it altogether.
Testing the Obvious
Sometimes, the diagnosis is clear to the clinician from the start. And the thing is…licensed clinicians aren’t required to do testing to support a diagnosis. For example, you don’t need any psychological testing to find out if someone has anxiety. Just ask them! If the situation is pretty clear, it may be a waste of money and time to go through the process. However, even when the diagnosis is obvious, some “powers that be” require formal testing in order to justify providing certain prescriptions, considering accommodations, determining educational placement, etc.
There are a few situations in which I would highly recommend neuropsychological/psychological testing:
Suspicions of Attention Deficit Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder
Concerns about learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, visual/motor deficits, auditory or visual processing issues, etc.
Memory problems/loss, unexplained changes in consciousness, sudden changes in personality
Getting a baseline BEFORE you have problems so you can compare the testing at a later time
When you disagree with your current diagnosis
So, what are some limitations to psychological testing?
The results of the test are only as good as the test itself.
Self-report measures are biased but are frequently used
The tests often rely on agreed-upon constructs (such as the word “personality”) rather than on concrete data (such as red blood cell count). This leaves them open to error if the construct itself is problematic.
The test was developed to be used with a specific population. If the examinee is different in any way, this could make the results invalid.
There is no definitive test that can determine a diagnosis.
The results of the test reflect only a snapshot in time. The examinee may test differently on another day or in another situation.
The results of the test are only as good as the clinician who is giving them. Some tests are highly sensitive to the training of the examiner. Bad data in = bad data out.
Even if the test results support a particular diagnosis, the clinician can disagree.
Here’s the bottom line: There is no psychological or neuropsychological test that can tell anyone definitively that they have ANY diagnosis. It actually requires that a trained, qualified clinician combine their opinion of the test results with a full diagnostic interview AND the test results. And guess what? Take a random sample of 10 clinicians and I’ll bet you a back tooth (southern saying) that maybe 3 of them would agree. Maybe. Why?
Well…maybe you’re familiar with the expression about what opinions are like ;)
About PSYCHē
We found your therapist.
Our goal is simple: We want to connect you with your perfect therapist. The first step is to meet online with an expert PSYCHē clinician who knows the right questions to ask to find out what kind of therapist will be the best fit for you. After hearing your history, goals, and what you’re looking for (and NOT looking for!) we go to work getting you scheduled with someone who can help. Why wait? Leave the searching to us.
Here’s why we do what we do:
Finding a good therapist is hard — we should know. We’ve been hiring, training and supervising therapists since 2009. Not all of them make the cut or stand the test of time. We find good THERAPISTS, not business owners or social media experts, so you get matched with the right clinician the first time. And if it doesn’t work out, we’re here to make it right.
No online directory can make that promise.
A directory tells only part of the story. Just because your neighbor likes someone doesn’t mean they’re a fit for you. The fact is, finding the right therapist can be exhausting. That’s why we’ve done the work for you. Let us pair you with a great therapist. First, book a consultation with one of our in-house therapists who will ask the right questions to find out exactly what you’re looking for. Next, our team of expert clinicians will work their professional magic to pair you with YOUR perfect therapist. The only step left is meeting your therapist and…doing therapy!
You shouldn’t have to find your own therapist.
Sifting through hundreds of therapist profiles online is probably NOT how you want to be spending your time. Word-of-mouth is great, but it’s not always available… and you may not want to see the same therapist as your neighbor or co-worker. We all know that online reviews are biased and the bottom line is, it can be hard to get an idea of what someone is really like until you actually meet them. That takes work, time, and in the case of therapy, money. We’ve done the work for you so finding a therapist for yourself or a loved one doesn’t have to feel like your second job.
If we don’t have the right therapist, we’ll find the right therapist.
Our goal is to contract with good therapists in every state, each with expertise in specific areas. If there is a therapist you need but we don’t have, give us some time and we’ll locate one. Don’t like the therapist we matched you with? No problem, we’ll find another—and you won’t have to go through the annoyance and hassle of doing another information gathering session. Our job is to find you YOUR therapist so you can do your job and feel better fast.
